Inquiry into 118118 'Bedford' runners

Troubled directory enquiry service 118 118 faces a formal investigation into claims that it "ripped off " the image of Seventies long-distance runner David Bedford in its TV campaigns.

Watchdog Ofcom confirmed that it is pursuing a complaint from the 54-year-old former 10,000-metre world record holder.

He has claimed that his "trademark" long hair, droopy moustache and red socks were used without his permission in the £16million campaign.

In the adverts, two runners who closely resemble Mr Bedford in his heyday shout "we've got your number" as they jog past onlookers.

Ofcom will investigate whether viewers thought the runners were based on Mr Bedford or not. If it finds they did, its lawyers could order the image to be changed or even dropped.

However, The Number, the company behind 118 118, claims that the runners are generic "Seventies-style" athletes not based on any one individual. They have pointed to the late US longdistance runner Steve Prefontaine as another example of such a look during the Seventies.

Mr Bedford, now race director of the London Marathon, has threatened legal action, claiming his image has been used without his permission.

A spokesman for The Number said: "There is a similarity, there's no doubt about that. But you could also name 20 footballers from the Seventies who had a 'mullet' and moustache. The runners were based on a generic Seventies look."